I'm Here For You
by the-Bookworm-Princess
Summary: Totally Tate! Tony comforts Kate during a tragedy...I wrote this at like 12:30 in the morning so..... don't expect TOO much. Reviews are welcome, but plz be nice.
1. Kate's POV

Title: I'm Here For You

Author: Jeana

Spoilers: none

Pairing: TATE!

Summary: I hate summaries, so just read it

Disclaimer: Navy NCIS is the property of Belisaurius, Paramount, DPB, CBS, and all that jazz...The characters just run around in my head all day long, so I put them to work.

"I have never said that you are hot!"

"Well, you said I was good-looking!"

"When?"

"The other day, when you called me an action figure, you said that I was good-looking!"

I scoffed at him; he was so conceited. "It was an analogy, DiNozzo, what I meant was--" The ringing of my cell phone interrupted our lively banter. "Don't you go anywhere, Tony," I said, reaching into my purse and pulling out my cell phone, "We will finish this." I flipped open my phone. "Hello?" I heard my mother's voice on the end of the line, but it sounded frantic and upset. "Oh, Kate! Did Christi call you already?"

"Why would she call? Is everything ok?"

"It's Joe. There was a rebel shooting today over in Iraq. Several of the soldiers were wounded, and," her voice faltered, "Joe didn't make it." I just stood there in shocked silence. Joe, my friend since first grade…dead? The phone fell from my hand and to the ground with a clatter. "Kate? Are you alright? Kate?" I didn't hear my mother's voice calling to me, nor was I aware of Tony asking, "Kate, what's wrong?" I didn't notice him walking around the car to where I was standing, until he put his hand on my shoulder. "Kate?"

I turned around, and tried to blink away the tears that I knew were coming; I didn't want Tony to see me cry.

"Kate, what is it?"

"My friend, Joe, was stationed over in Iraq. Today there was a shooting and…" I took a deep breath and continued, "he didn't make it." I decided that I no longer cared if he saw, and so I let the tears fall freely.

"Oh, Kate, I'm so sorry."

I tried to see Tony's face through all of my tears. '_I don't think I've ever seen him so genuinely concerned_,' I thought of Tony, and then my mind went back to the awful news I had just received, '_Oh my gosh, Joe can't be gone!_'

"I-I don't know what else to say."

Tossing all reason out the window, I replied, "Don't say anything, just hold me." And with that, I threw myself into his arms. I felt them wrap around me as he drew me close, and I began crying into his shoulder. I could feel his hands start massaging my back as the sobs racked my body. Then I nearly melted in his arms when I heard his usually teasing voice, say soothingly, "It's ok, Kate, it's gonna be alright." And it really tugged my heartstrings when he said, "I'm here for you." I had no idea how long I stood there crying in Tony's arms. My sobs had finally quieted down, and I voiced my thoughts, "I just can't believe that Joe is really gone." That brought more tears, which prompted Tony to draw me close and say, "I know, Kate, I know." And then he kissed the top of my head.

'_Oh, how long have I wanted him to do that? It's just so awful that it would take a tragedy to bring us together._' I hugged him tighter. After a few more minutes, I had stopped crying. I looked up at Tony and said simply, "Thank you."

"For what?"

"For caring… and for letting me cry on your shoulder."

"Oh, Kate," he said in a gentle voice, "You know that I am not completely unfeeling. You know that I care about you." Then he brought his hand up to my face and gently wiped away the tears on my cheeks. "Now, are you gonna be ok? Because I can drive you home if you want…"

'_Heck ya you can!_' "Would you? I'm still a little shaken up."

"Sure. And I guess you'll need a ride up here tomorrow since you are leaving your car here, right?" I nodded, and picked up my cell phone. "Ok. I'll swing by your place on my way." We were now walking towards Tony's car. I smiled as Tony opened my door for me. '_Ah, so chivalry isn't dead._' We drove to my apartment in silence. When we got there, I turned to Tony. "Thanks for the ride, and for everything."

"No problem." He flashed me one of his gorgeous trademark grins. I opened the car door to leave, stopped, turned back around to Tony, and gave him a peck on the cheek. I could not stop smiling as I walked up the steps and into the apartment complex.


	2. Tony's POV

"I have never said that you are hot!"

"Well, you said I was good-looking!"

"When?"

"The other day, when you called me an action figure, you said that I was good-looking!"

Kate scoffed at me. "It was an analogy, DiNozzo, what I meant was--" The ringing of her cell phone interrupted our lively banter. "Don't you go anywhere, Tony," Kate told me as she reached into her purse for her phone, "We will finish this." She flipped open her phone. '_Man, I love the way she swishes her hair like that._' "Hello?" I couldn't tell who it was on the phone, but I noticed that Kate suddenly looked pretty worried. "Why would she call? Is everything ok?" The person on the other end of the line said something that made Kate's jaw drop. Then she dropped the phone. She just stood there, unmoving, looking shocked, so I asked her, "Kate, what's wrong?" When she didn't respond, I walked around the side of her car, and put my hand on her shoulder. "Kate?"

She turned around to face me, and I could see tears in the corners of her eyes. I had never seen Kate cry. "Kate, what is it?"

"My friend, Joe, was stationed over in Iraq. Today there was a shooting and," her voice wavered, "he didn't make it." As she said that, tears cascaded down her cheeks. I tried my best to comfort her. "Oh, Kate, I'm so sorry." She looked at me with her brown eyes, that seemed to be begging for love and compassion. "I-I don't know what else to say."

Kate managed to choke out, "Don't say anything, just hold me." And then she threw herself on me. I was a little shocked at first, but then I wrapped her in my arms and held her close. She started crying into my shoulder, so I massaged her back. "It's ok, Kate, it's gonna be alright," I said in a soothing tone. "I'm here for you."

We stood there for a while, with her just bawling in my arms. When her sobs had finally quieted down, she said, "I just can't believe that Joe is really gone." Then she started crying again, so I pulled her in closer and whispered, "I know, Kate, I know." And then I did what I had been wanting to do since she joined NCIS: I kissed her. It was just on the top of her head, but I still did it. Then, she hugged me tighter. After a couple more moments, Kate had stopped crying. She looked up at me and said in her sweet voice, "Thank you."

"For what?"

"For caring… and for letting me cry on your shoulder."

"Oh, Kate," I said gently, "You know that I am not completely unfeeling. You know that I care about you." I placed my hand on her face and proceeded to wipe the tears off her cheeks. "Now, are you gonna be ok? Because I can drive you home if you want…" '_Say yes, say yes, SAY YES!_'

"Would you? I'm still a little shaken up."

"Sure." She smiled at me. '_I would do anything to make that girl smile._' "And I guess you'll need a ride up tomorrow since you are leaving your car here, right?" She nodded, and picked her cell phone up off the ground. I would have gotten it, being a gentleman and all, but she beat me to it. "Ok. I'll swing by your place on my way." We were now walking towards my car. She smiled as I opened her door for her. We drove to Kate's apartment in silence. When we got there, she turned to me. "Thanks for the ride, and thanks for everything."

"No problem." I gave her one of my grins. She opened the car door to leave, stopped, turned back around to me, and gave me a peck on the cheek. I just sat there and grinned as I watched her walk up the steps and into the apartment complex.


End file.
